Dorothy Jones is proof that age is but a number. Throughout her lifetime Jones has indulged in many adventures, including piloting a Cessna and sailing a catamaran from South Africa to Turkey.
Her latest adventure involved taking to the skies on Saturday to celebrate her 90th birthday by doing a tandem paragliding jump off the mountains above Hermanus.
“I have wanted to do it for a very long time. It was wonderful,” she said afterwards. “It was beautiful and quiet up in the sky.”
Jones, who is originally from Yorkshire in England, lived in Zambia for many years with her husband Casey who passed away five years ago.
The couple shared a love for flying and sailing and, according to Dorothy, they owned various boats throughout their lifetime.
“When I was in my 50s or 60s, I sailed with my husband from South Africa to Turkey. We used to fly and sail all over the world. The last time was in a catamaran,” she recalls.
The nonagenarian, whose birthday was on 10 December, says she wouldn’t describe herself as an “adrenaline junkie” but rather someone who loves to explore and experience different kinds of adventures.
Besides travelling, she also enjoys doing crossword puzzles, jigsaws, playing bridge four times a week and gardening.
“I live on my own in Onrus Manor and I still do my own housework,” she stated.
Dorothy still enjoys travelling and exploring. During one of her journeys aboard a cruise ship three years ago, she had the misfortune of being stuck on the vessel along with all the other passengers and crew when many countries closed their boarders at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
She was not put off by this and now looks forward to travelling to Japan later this year with her family.
There’s a lot more the adventurous mother and grandmother would love to do and experience but she says: “I would love to travel more but it depends on the money.”
